Panther (1995/I)

Director:

Mario Van Peebles

Writers (WGA):

Melvin Van Peebles (novel)
Melvin Van Peebles (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 May 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The People Called Them Heroes. The F.B.I. Called Them Public Enemy Number One.

Plot:

A dramatized account of the story of The Black Panther Party of Self-Defense.

Plot Keywords:

Traffic Accident | FBI | FBI Chief | Police Brutality | One Word Title

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Kadeem Hardison	...	Judge
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Tyrone
Joe Don Baker	...	Brimmer
Courtney B. Vance	...	Bobby Seale
Tyrin Turner	...	Cy
Marcus Chong	...	Huey Newton
Anthony Griffith	...	Eldridge Cleaver
Bobby Brown	...	Rose
Angela Bassett	...	Dr. Betty Shabazz
Nefertiti	...	Alma
James Russo	...	Rodgers
Jenifer Lewis	...	Rita
Chris Rock	...	Yuck Mouth
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Pruitt
Michael Wincott	...	Tynan
Richard Dysart	...	J. Edgar Hoover
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Dorsett
Wesley Jonathan	...	Bobby Hutton
Kahlil Nelson	...	Boy on bike
Thyais Walsh	...	Bernadette
Anthony Johnson	...	Sabu
Dick Gregory	...	Rev. Slocum
Kool Moe Dee	...	Jamal
Lahmard J. Tate	...	Gene McKinney
William Fuller	...	Sgt. Schreck
David Greenlee	...	Patrolman
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Old jailbird
Adam Powers	...	Hippie
Brent Schaefer	...	Emory Douglas
Mark Curry	...	Lombard
Barie Scardapane	...	Student
Dario Scardapane	...	Student
Reginald Ballard	...	Brother at meeting
Ralph Ahn	...	Mr. Yang
James Bigwood	...	Grove Street cop
Martin Bright	...	Grove Street cop
Mark Buntzman	...	Pushy reporter
Robert Peters	...	Cop at Ramparts
Jeff Obafemi Carr	...	Denzil Dowell (as Jeffrey Carr)
Steven Carl White	...	George
Charles Cooper	...	Sheriff
Jay Koch	...	Gov. Ronald Reagan
Tim Loughrin	...	Reporter at Capitol
Tony Beard	...	Guard at Capitol
Jerry Rubin	...	Defense attorney
Beau Windham	...	Hoover's aide
Jamie Johnson	...	Girl buying drugs (as Jamie Zozzaro)
Yolanda Whittaker	...	Pregnant junkie
Arthur Reed	...	Blind man
Christopher Michaels	...	Reporter at police station
James LeGros	...	Avakian
Joseph Culp	...	Baby-faced cop
Preston L. Holmes	...	Prison guard
Chris Tucker	...	Bodyguard
Tracey Costello	...	Kathleen Cleaver
Jeris Poindexter	...	Black cop
Brent Sincock	...	Courtroom judge
James A. Earley	...	Angry cop
Sharrif Simmons	...	Poet
L. Sidney	...	Bakar (as Aklam)
Rob Rule	...	Berkelely campus singer
Eddie Aniske	...	Berkeley campus singer
Robbie Allen	...	Berkeley campus singer
David L. King	...	Berkeley campus singer
John 'Boo Boo Brown' Gordon	...	Recruit
Marvin Young	...	Recruit
Ann Weldon	...	Mrs. Dowell
Brian Turk	...	Deputy
Timothy G. Riley	...	Band at barbecue
Dwayne P. Wiggins	...	Band at barbecue
Timothy C. Riley	...	Band at barbecue
John T. Smith	...	Band at barbecue
Elijah Baker	...	Band at barbecue
Vincent Lars	...	Band at barbecue
Bill Ortiz	...	Band at barbecue
Roberto Santana	...	Matty
Gunnar Peterson	...	Cop at gas station
John Harwood	...	Cop at lineup
John Knight	...	Cop at Panther office
Erik Kohner	...	Nervous cop
Robert Culp	...	Charles Garry
John Snyder	...	Cop
Mario Van Peebles	...	Stokely Carmichael
Steven M. Gagnon	...	Prosecutor
Manny Perry	...	Shorty
William Martin Brennan	...	Partner (as William Brennan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shanice	...	Singer at punk Panther (as Shanice Wilson)
Paul Becque	...	Juror (uncredited)
Patrick Faucette	...	Raymond 'Masai' Hewitt (uncredited)
Christopher Michael Holley	...	Black Panther (uncredited)
Michele L. Jennings	...	Black Panther (uncredited)
John Poague	...	Cop (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Van Peebles

Writing credits (WGA)
Melvin Van Peebles		(novel "Panther")
Melvin Van Peebles		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	executive producer
Liza Chasin	....	associate producer (as Lisa Chassin)
Eric Fellner	....	executive producer
Preston L. Holmes	....	producer
Mario Van Peebles	....	producer
Melvin Van Peebles	....	producer
Robert De Niro	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Stanley Clarke

Cinematography by
Edward J. Pei

Film Editing by
Kevin Lindstrom
Earl Watson

Casting by
Tony Lee
Andrea Reed
Robi Reed-Humes

Production Design by
Richard Hoover

Art Direction by
Bruce Robert Hill
Carol Lavoie

Set Decoration by
Bob Kensinger

Costume Design by
Paul Simmons

Makeup Department
Kim D. Davis	....	makeup artist (as Kim Davis)
Diane Hammond	....	key makeup artist
Klexius Kolby	....	makeup artist: Shanice
Ted Long	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Maria Dylan	....	production supervisor
Brent Owens	....	unit production manager
Graham Stumpf	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Algric Leo Chaplin	....	assistant director
H.H. Cooper	....	assistant director
Tracey Hinds	....	assistant director
Kia B. Puriefoy	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kinney Booker	....	set dresser
William Butler	....	set dresser
Candi Guterres	....	property assistant
Cliff Lane	....	property master

Sound Department
G.W. Brown	....	supervising adr editor
Dane A. Davis	....	supervising sound editor
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Todd Harris	....	assistant sound editor
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kini Kay	....	foley supervisor
Patricio A. Libenson	....	sound effects editor
Kimberly Ellen Lowe	....	dialogue editor (as Kimberly Lowe Voigt)
Piero Mura	....	sound editor
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Sean Rowe	....	foley artist
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound
Todd Toon	....	sound effects supervisor
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Beverley Hartigan	....	special effects
Erich Martin Hicks	....	special effects crew

Stunts
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Terry James	....	stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Mosley	....	stunts
Robair Sims	....	stunt performer
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Lisa Bonaccorso	....	additional electrician
Glenn Fishel	....	grip
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator
Greg Johnson	....	grip
Kevin Kennedy	....	best boy grip
Chava Monjaraz	....	grip
Vince Rodriguez	....	key grip
Darryl Walthall	....	electrician
Darryl Walthall	....	lighting technician
Vernon Wynne	....	electrician
Michael Meier	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Monica R. Cooper	....	extras casting
Jack Holland	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eric Upshur	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Angela Robinson	....	assistant editor
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Christine Cholvin	....	music editor (as Chris Cholvin)
Tass Filipos	....	music editor
Zigmund Gron	....	music editor
Alan Kidron	....	executive music and soundtrack producer
Larry Robinson	....	music supervisor
Samuel J. Sapp	....	executive music and soundtrack producer
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Robert Wheaton	....	assistant music editor
Tim Morrison	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Avallon	....	driver
John R. Lopez	....	captain

Other crew
Tyrone D. Dixon	....	second assistant accountant
Claudia Eastman	....	location assistant
Dave Footman	....	production coordinator
Sabrina Gray	....	assistant to producer
Sarah Gyllenstierna	....	key production assistant
Ellen Lent	....	location manager (as Ellen Winchell)
Elizabeth Ludwick-Bax	....	script supervisor (as Elizabeth Ludwick)
John Plant	....	craft service
Jim Procanik	....	payroll accountant
Jeff Vespa	....	craft service (as Jeffrey Charles Meyer)
David Wadley	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Gramercy Pictures (I)
• MVP Films
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Tribeca Productions
• Working Title Films

Distributors

• Gramercy Pictures (I)
• PolyGram Video (USA) (DVD)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language

Runtime:

Germany:123 min | UK:124 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Company:

Gramercy Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Roger Guenveur Smith, who plays Pruitt, also played Huey Newton in A Huey P. Newton Story (2001) (TV), meaning he has played characters at the birth and death of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Detective Brimmer is chasing Judge, he makes a radio call saying the he is running east on Market Street, in Oakland, CA. Market Street in Oakland, runs South to North. There is no way to run East on Market Street.

Quotes:

Bobby Seale:Brother Malcolm said we should stop sangin' and start swangin'.

Movie Connections:

References Malcolm X (1992)

Soundtrack:

Chosen One

A little left out, but still good

This movie does greatly leave out the true nature of some of the Panthers identified, but this is merely to avoid offending anyone. Huey Newton originally fled to Cuba. Still, Marcus Chong gave a splendid performance and I believe that he is an excellent actor.